The Penn's Grove record., 1887-08-13
THE TALE OF AN UMBRELLA.

The speaker half rose to his feet n
looked eagerly out Of the window.
The expression that settled upon his
face left no doubt that 1t was Miss
Shepherd.
"She has less common sense than
any woman 1 ever knew" he said with
impotence.
The day was quite unfit for action,
though eminently favorable for reverie
and reflection. So all people of regu-
lated habits would agree, but Miss
Shepherd had seen fit to transpose the
very evident intention of the weather
managers. and had chosen to act rather
than .waddle and dream. And Mr..
Manchester, who was more orthodox,
and who had done nothing all day but
build air-castles, had denounced her
accordingly.
Such a rain as 1t wasl Nowhere a
more can triumphant deluges come out
of high skies than In the Traverse re-
gion. The bueketsful that were poured
In great smashing sheets, came from
such an altitude that ones breath was
fairly dashed out of ones body if caught
in a sudden gust round the corner.
Summeringl Pleasuringl and here
at Harbor Springs it was as cold as
Siberia. A north wind that had come
over all the ice Of the poles, had met a
tremendous thunder-gust from the
equator, and the two together were
having it out. And, of course, as a
part of an idle mans luck, this contest
must occur onsthe very day he had set
tostake Miss Shepherd with him to a
romantic dell he.had discovered some
where in the neighborhood.
''Is it possible2'' he exclaimed again,
as he worried about in his chair, evil
IDENTIFY too much nettled with disgust
to be able to keep still.
Now, MI. Manchester had been hard
hit. lie, a typical Chicagoan-blonde,
of course, rotund, mediumly bold, not
very young-had been so well greaved,
so armed caS-a-pie, as 1t were, that the
hit had literally stunned him, and
everybody else, with surprise.
A well-delivered blow 1t must have
been, sent by a cool hand n practised
eye. Whether it was heel or heart that
was struck. time alone could show; If
the former, probably, like Achilles, he
would die of it; if the latter. the dan
ger was not appreciate.
Seated in the comfortable hotel Of
fee, he had done nothing all this day
but watch through the streaming win
dows the pelted and drenched street.
The bulk of the tourist guests had gone
on a steamer excursion to Mackinaw
the night before.
He had been invited to join this party
to the island, but after the adroit dis
covery that Annie Shepherd had de-
clined going, he also had declined. His
reasons for so doing were patent to
every one but himself.
Then had followed that little episode
Of his invitation to her to join him In a
walk next day. This had baen hastily
whispered in the hall on parting al
night, and accepted with a nod and
smile, 1t was to be to a wood near by,
where a free, clear spring gushed and
roared down a b~lack-earthed declivity.
1t was one of the dampest, mossiest
spots in the whole region. He had once
found a BEARS fresh track on the moss,
and had christened it therefore 'sBoard
of Trade Glen"
But the rain had put a provoking
stop to this plan. And Miss Shepherd
had capped the peak of his disgust by
plCduluR AC1ddCuO 90 q ACdoOA AbA
keeping out of sight all day, he having
called very early in the forenoon.
Yet there she went, or his eyes had
lost their cunningl
1t is true there was a lull in the ram,
but none in the wind. And with a
headache, what could tempt her out?
Too i'll to see him. and Yet well enough
to brave this tempestl
She went down the steps. clad IN a
gossamer-and with her umbrella up
an umbrella big enough for two. She
must have had the limbs of an Alta
lanta to move with such equable grace
and strength, for the wind tried its
wickedest to puff out that ugly, ulster
shaped thing and to make her fine,
slender outline look fat. He caught a
glimpse of a good, stout boot. seeming
all the daintier for its stoutness. And
watching and mentally taking in all
the fine points, he kept up a scattering
fire OF ejaculation: 'She'n get her
death-cold.n "Was there ever such an
unreasoning, unprognost1catable cTea-
ure as she?''
She disappeared, iuttering like a
loose-sailed pirate-craft 70 and the cor
ner.
He knew just about her course when
he saw her turn to the right aud bend
herself to meet the blast, which was
directly in her face.
He rallied his senses as he lost sight
Of her. Bang into his chair went the
book he had not ever pretended to
read; up the STAIRS, two steps at a time,
he sprang, and presently returned ar
rayed in his Eiinburg great coat, and
leisurely putting a newly. lighted cigar.
A good observer would have noted
an hour before that the weather was
likely to clear. There was a pale, yell
low streak in the north, and a tendency
to lift and take flight on the part Of the